Behind the Sea
by TheOtherHalfBloodPrince
Summary: "Your father's Poseidon," Annabeth marvels. "Wow, you catch on fast," Valerie says. "You don't understand. This was never supposed to happen," Annabeth whispers, fear lining her voice. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Feel the Waves Come in

Valerie Thatcher sits on the beach, watching the waves gently rolling into the beautiful, whit shoreline. The moon's beams illuminate the white sand, almost making it glow. The wind whips through her shoulder length, blonde hair, sending the sky blue streaks flying around her head. Valerie takes a deep breath as she remembers the life she walked away from to come here.

She was the average seventeen year old. Well, as average as a demigod can be. Although, Valerie was never popular in school, she was never an outcast. She had a small group of friends, but she's really more of a loner, which is why it never bothered her much when she agreed to come to Camp Halfblood. She was never close with anyone, so she had no one to say goodbye to.

"You're guarding the flag," Percy Jackson, the blue team's captain for capture the flag, instructs Valerie. With a sigh, she trudges over to the flag, watching the other campers travel toward the boundaries. Even though this is her first game, she knows that "guard" is the worst job.

A creek runs through the small clearing that serves as a hiding place for the blue banner. A gentle breeze shatters the stillness, allowing the flag to fly. The water in the creek gently flows, creating a relaxing sound. When she reaches the flag, Valerie realizes that she is not alone.

A boy with black hair that falls into his dark eyes leans against a tree. His arms are folded across his chest. Valerie can tell that he wants to be here about as much as she does, which isn't much. Nico sees Valerie walk towards the creek. He has never seen her here before.

"Hi," Valerie gives him a brief smile.

"Hi," Nico responds, returning the smile. Valerie sits by the water and lets the cool, refreshing liquid flow through her fingers. the water gives her a surprising burst of energy. The sunlight bouncing off the water mesmerizes Valerie, drawing her attention the way moths are drawn to porch lights.

Nico suddenly becomes alert. He draws his sword, searching the forest for any sign of movement. Valerie immediately stands up and draws her sword as well. A group of campers hides in the nearby trees. Valerie sees them before Nico does.

A boy who Nico recognizes as a child of Ares rushes out of his hiding place, knife raised above his head. He charges at Valerie. With one swing of her sword, she knocks the knife right out of his hand. It lands a few feet away, splashing into the water. It sinks down and rests on the bottom of the creek. The boy tackles Valerie. They land with a thud right next to the water.

Nico grabs the boy by his shirt and hauls him up onto his knees. Nico's fist collides with the boy's face. He stumbles back, holding his bloody nose. Clarisse, who is probably the worst of all the Ares kids, runs toward the flag, a smug grin plastered on her face.

Valerie extends her hand over the water, deep in concentration. The knife shoots out of the water and flies through the air, pinning Clarisse to a tree. She struggles to free the knife from the straps of her armor, but to no avail.

Valerie's attention is now directed to the rest of the campers. About five of them stand ahead of the flag. I stand in the creek. A stream of water snakes over the ground, wrapping around the small groups' feet. The water wraps around their bodies. They are bound to the spot where they stand. Valerie and Nico can hear the battle raging on not too far away. From the sound of it, the red team is dominating.

Valerie takes off toward the noise, but she keeps a safe distance, so she can go unnoticed. She plans each step carefully to avoid snapping the twigs that lie on the ground. She watches for anyone hiding in the trees and bushes.

Nico watches her run away. He stabs the blade of his sword into the soft earth below his feet. The ground opens up, and some new members of the blue team crawl out. Battle armor hangs loosely on their bones. Nico leaves the skeletons to guard the banner, and he takes off behind Valerie.

Valerie is creeping through the trees, her sword held firmly in front of her. Nico sneaks up behind her, careful not to make a sound. He taps Valerie on the shoulder, startling her.

"You don't think you can ditch me that easily; do you?" Nico whispers, earning a wide smile from Valerie. They stealthily take long strides through the woods until they find what they are looking for: a red flag gleaming in the sunlight. One boy is guarding the flag. He holds a spear in front of him.

Valerie turns to a nearby tree whose branches hang over the banner. She begins to climb. Nico doesn't follow her right away. He seems to weigh his options before climbing up the tree. Valerie gracefully moves through the branches. Nico, however, moves much slower, taking extra care to keep quiet.

Valerie hangs from the branch. Her feet dangle just above the flag. She stretches her legs until they can just reach the top of the pole. Valerie grips the flag with her feet and pulls it closer to the tree. Nico cautiously walks over toward her. Nico grabs her hand and pulls her up. They make their way down the tree.

Valerie raises the flag above her head and starts sprinting. Nico follows closely behind her. The rest of the campers see them running swiftly toward the boundaries. The blue team follows behind them, while the red team prepares for attack.

Valerie crosses the creek, and the blue team rejoices. Several of the Ares kids throw their helmets down in frustration.

Chiron officially declares the blue team as the winners. A low growl interrupts the celebrations. Everyone turns toward the sound. A hellhound is perched on a rock, casting shadows in the evening sunlight. It runs toward Valerie, anger in its eyes.

Before Valerie can react, she is flat on her back with the hellhound on top of her. She struggles to free herself, but she is pinned to the ground. Its claws pierce the skin on her forearm, drawing blood. A stinging sensation rips through Valerie's arm, bringing tears to her eyes. The entire camp is overcome by shock. They are too stunned to move.

The rushing water is so close, so close that Valerie can almost feel it. She closes her eyes, imagining the water flowing toward her. Soon, Valerie can feel the water. It wraps around the beast, pulling it off of her.

Valerie pulls herself to her feet, one hand clasped around the bleeding wound on her arm. Chiron launches an arrow into the hellhound's side. It falls to the ground, dead. The entire camp stares at her.

"You need to go to the hospital," Annabeth leads Valerie through the crowd, placing her hand on her shoulder. Valerie recoils at her touch.

"I'm fine," Valerie freezes in her tracks. She looks back at the water. If she wanted to, she could get there. Annabeth looks at the gash on Valerie's arm, raising her eyebrows. Valerie decides that it's better to just go with Annabeth, rather than causing a scene.

"I can take her," Nico offers, taking a step closer to them.

"Haven't you done _enough_?" Annabeth snaps, malice lacing her voice. She had intended for her comment to be caustic, and, judging by the look on Nico's face, it was. Annabeth turns away from him. None of the other demigods will even look at him.

Annabeth leads Valerie into the small building that serves as a hospital for the camp. She forces Valerie to sit down on the bed while they wait for a nurse. _I don't need a nurse. I just need water, _Valerie tells herself.

"Can you get me some water?" Valerie asks, doing her best to act helpless and in pain. She smirks to herself as Annabeth disappears down the hall. Shortly after, she returns, holding a glass of water in her hand.

Valerie takes the glass. She stares at it for a moment, planning her next move. She stands up, ignoring the pain in her arm. Valerie pours the water over the gash on her left arm.

**Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, I don't own the Percy Jackson series. Please write a review. The title of this story is inspired by the song "Behind the Sea" by Panic! at the Disco.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two Disappearing Act

The water flows into Valerie's wound, increasing the sting. The blood is washed away, and the gash vanishes before her and Annabeth's eyes, until nothing but a faded scar is left. Valerie walks toward the door, with Annabeth at her heels.

"I'm fine," Valerie says, shoving the empty glass into Annabeth's hand. She is left holding the glass, her mouth agape. She watches Valerie leave before she comes to her senses.

"Your father's Poseidon," Annabeth marvels and follows Valerie out the door. Valerie increases her pace, hoping to get away from her.

"Wow, you catch on fast," Valerie doesn't turn to face her. She just keeps walking toward the other campers, who are getting ready for dinner. Valerie keeps here eyes trained ahead of her, telling herself not to turn around.

"You don't understand. This was never supposed to happen," Annabeth whispers, fear lining her voice. Valerie does her best to ignore her comment, but it finds its way in, shocking her to the core.

Valerie takes her seat at the table farthest away from everyone else, not caring that she is supposed to be sitting at the Poseidon table. She can hear the whispers as people turn to look at her. She wants to disappear. Valerie hates it when people stare at her. It makes her feel like a freak. She is sure that everyone knows who her father is by now.

Nico walks over and sits down across from Valerie, causing more conversation from the rest of the camp. Valerie shoots them an icy glare. Some people immediately stop talking and turn away from her. Others are unperturbed.

"You okay?" Nico asks. His dark eyes meet Valerie's. She can't figure out why everyone hates him. Even though she has only been at camp for about a day, she has not seen one person speak to him.

"I'm fine, really," Valerie shows Nico the scar on her arm. He becomes intrigued by the minimal damage.

"It was so deed this morning," Nico runs his fingers along the faded claw marks on Valerie's arm. Usually, she hates it when anyone touches her, but this time, it doesn't bother her.

"Daughter of Poseidon," Valerie says. Those three words are enough to explain everything. "Why does everyone hate you?" Valerie asks, remembering Annabeth's harsh words and the fact that most of the campers won't even look at him.

"Everyone thinks that I summoned the hellhound," Nico says, his voice dropping to a volume just above a whisper. His gaze shifts away from Valerie, but she can see the sadness in his eyes.

"Why?" Valerie asks.

"Despite my sunny disposition," Nico sarcastically remarks, "I am still the son of Hades." Valerie nods. Silence encompasses them, providing time for Valerie to catch a glimpse of the small audience they seem to have gathered. They rest of the camp is watching, shock present on their faces.

"I'm Nico," He breaks the silence, drawing Valerie's attention.

"Valerie," she responds, realizing that neither one of them has introduced themselves.

"Well, I better go before I star a war," Nico rises, gesturing to the glares from the other halfbloods that are directed at him. He walks over and sits at the Hades table. She is not surprised that he is alone.

Valerie walks over to the Poseidon table and takes a seat next to Percy. He gives Valerie a stern look. Percy says nothing. Valerie lets out an exasperated sigh.

"What?" Valerie asks, slightly annoyed.

"Why do you talk to him?" Percy nods his head toward Nico. From the way Percy looks at him, you would think that Nico is some kind of monster. Percy looks at Valerie, eager for a response.

"Because he's nice," Valerie explains, earning a frustrated sigh from Percy.

"He tried to kill you, Valerie. Why can't you accept that?" Percy pries. He honestly can't wrap his mind around the fact that anyone can have a conversation with Nico. They came to camp at the same time, and Percy hasn't heard Nico say two words to anyone.

"He did not," Valerie defends him. "When he came to talk to me, the first thing he did was make sure I was okay."

"Well, there is another possibility," Percy begins, looking around him to make sure no one is listening. He is beginning to believe that Nico may not be the person he thought he is. "Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades were forbidden to have any more kids about six months after Nico and I were born. It would be too dangerous. You're a year younger than us, which means you were never supposed to exist."

"What does that mean for me?" Valerie asks, growing more uneasy by the second. It hurts her to know that she is not supposed to exist. She now knows what Annabeth was talking about. She has completely lost her appetite. The thought of ingesting more food makes her sick.

"It means," Percy says, his face turning grave, "that someone wants you dead."

**Thanks for reading, and thanks to Alaijah for being the first one to follow this story. Please check out my other stories. They are _Playing With Fire, The Ballad of the Dead, Find Your Own Way Back Home, _and _The Bottom of the Well. _ Please write a review and favorite me!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Ready to Leave, Ready to Live

Valerie sits on the beach, just as she did on her first night at camp. She knows what she has to do. Valerie sighs, knowing that it can't be avoided. She knows she has to leave camp. There is no other option. If Valerie wants to live, then she has to leave.

The sun will be rising in a few hours. The very edges of the horizon are streaked with the sun's brilliant colors. Valerie grabs her backpack and makes her way to the entrance of camp. No one can kill her if they can't find her.

She looks over the rolling, green hill one last time, unsure if she will ever see them again. Valerie isn't as upset about leaving as she thought -or hoped- she would be. It's almost as if she's blocked out her emotions entirely. She turns away, leaving the camp behind.

The snap of a twig makes Valerie freeze where she stands. She slowly draws her sword, looking around her for any sign of movement. Her heart rate steadily increases, as she knows that she is being hunted. Valerie can feel the eyes on her, watching from the cover of the shadows, waiting for their chance.

"You don't think you can ditch me that easily; do you?" Nico's voice travels through the darkness, allowing Valerie to relax, knowing that no one is hunting her.

"Yeah, I did," Valerie lowers her blade, "because I'm going alone." Valerie notices the exasperation in his eyes. He firmly stands his ground, giving Valerie a look of disapproval.

"No, you're not," Nico scoffs. He takes a step closer to Valerie, closing the gap between them. Her sea green eyes sparkle brilliantly under the last remaining rays of moonlight.

"It's not your decision. It's mine, and I'm going alone," Valerie states, her voice finding a commanding tone. She stares Nico down, silently pleading with him to just walk away, to just leave her alone. Much to her annoyance, he doesn't move from where he stands.

"I don't give a damn about what you've decided. I'm coming," Nico follows Valerie as she walks away from him. Valerie just keeps walking, pretending she can't hear him. "Sorry if I don't want you getting yourself killed," Nico adds.

"I'm not going to die," Valerie shrugs his comment off, though somehow it finds its way in, making her rethink her choice to leave, but only for a moment. She can still hear Nico's footsteps following her in the darkness.

"Then why the hell are you leaving?" Nico asks, his voice flooding with annoyance, because he can't for the life of him figure out why Valerie would just up and leave like this.

Valerie sighs and turns to face Nico, "Because someone at camp wants me dead, and I kind of enjoy living." Nico's expression softens, but only slightly. Nico had thought that the attack during capture the flag might have something to do with this.

"They'll only kill you faster if you leave, Valerie. The hellhound was just the beginning," Nico explains. Valerie is beginning to listen, but she is still intent on her decision to leave.

"Thanks for the warning, but I've made up my mind. I'm leaving," Valerie turns to leave, with Nico following at her heels.

"So you're just gonna run away after _one _hellhound?!" Nico challenges, causing Valerie to spin around to face him. "Running from the problem won't make it go away." Nico stares her down, waiting for a response.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Valerie snaps, growing more impatient by the second. She could swear that she just heard a sound in the distance, but after a quick search of her surroundings, she chalks it up as being her imagination.

"Fight Back," Nico answers. Now, Valerie is sure she heard something, because Nico draws his sword and searches the forest. Valerie reaches for her weapon. She looks toward the path she took to get up here, and she sees them coming.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you, Princesschloe72, for being the first one to favorite this story, for being the first one to favorite me as a author, and for reviewing! I'll try to post new chapters for all of my stories on Fridays. Please check out my newest story, called _The Walls That Bleed. _It's a _Supernatural _fanfic.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Seeing Things

The low rumble of the hellhounds' feet pounding on the dirt sends vibrations quaking throughout the ground. Valerie and Nico hold their swords in front of them, ready to fight. The pack, which consists of about ten, menacing hellhounds, swiftly advances toward them.

The beasts look bigger that the hellhounds Nico has grown accustomed to seeing. Being the son of Hades has caused Nico to be an outcast, even among the demigods, but is comes with its perks, too. Nico is well-trained in battle, and he knows how to take down his fair share of monsters.

Valerie charges toward the stampede. Her sword stabs one of the monsters, killing it. This, however, only makes the rest of them angry. They run closer to her, sharp fangs bared.

Nico rushes in front of her, taking out two of them with one swing of his blade. Blood spatters everywhere, staining their clothes.

He looks around, only to see that the ten hellhounds have become twenty. They soon realize that there is no way they can hold them off. There's just too many.

"I know you said I can't run away after one hellhound, but can I run away from twenty?" Valerie asks, already taking off. She weaves through the trees, hoping to lose the pack that is chasing her.

"I don't see why not," Nico follows her, crashing through the forest. He takes the lead as he runs toward the road. Nico desperately tries to remember where he saw it.

One day, he was exploring, and he found a car sitting on the side of the road. At the time, Nico seriously considered taking off ad getting out of camp. His life was so much better before he was taken here. Nico misses being able to go outside without people parting like the Red Sea just to avoid him.

Finally, he sees it. Valerie and Nico slam the car doors shut behind them as Nico frantically attempts to hot wire the vehicle before the hellhounds catch up. The engine roars to life just in time. Nico presses his foot to the pedal, forcing it all the way to the floor.

The car flies down the road, tires squealing on the pavement. Valerie turns around to make sure nothing is following them. She lets out a sigh of relief when she sees the empty road stretching as far as the eye can see.

Nico slows the car down to a normal speed when he knows that they are not being followed. He focuses on the bare stretch of pavement ahead of him. Then, something appears out of nowhere.

Nico slams on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden halt. "That's a new one," he whispers, mesmerized by what he sees in front of him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Beacon

The drops of water float around in the air at Valerie's eye level. They enigmatically dance around each other, reflecting the early morning light in such a way that they almost glow. Valerie reaches out to touch one, but it shies away from her. The closer she gets, the farther away they fly.

"Where are you going?" Nico calls to her as Valerie follows the water. They lead Valerie into the trees.

"I'm following it," Valerie responds, breaking into a run to keep up with it. She knows that it's probably a trap, but a small part of her urges her forward. And for some reason, she trusts that part. Something inside pulls her to the water, as if it is some sort of beacon.

Nico runs after her, leaving the car in the middle of the road. He searches the trees, but Valerie is nowhere to be seen. Nico hears footsteps swiftly pounding on the ground ahead of him, and he sprints toward the noise.

Valerie crashes through the trees, swatting branches away from her face as she runs. Her only guide is the cloud of water. She follows it willingly, wherever it may lead. Her surroundings become increasingly familiar with each step she takes, until Valerie knows where she is being led. And it doesn't make her feel like this isn't a trap. She draws her sword, ready to fight anyone that might be waiting for her.

Nico searches the dense forest for Valerie. Finally, he spots her. She is standing still, staring at what lies ahead of her. Nico watches as the water dissipates, until it completely fades away. He steps out of the woods, joining Valerie in the small clearing.

She whips around, swinging her sword.

"Whoa, it's just me," Nico ducks, missing the blade by only a few inches. Valerie returns her weapon to its scabbard.

The sunlight dances through the trees, illuminating their surroundings. It only takes Nico a few seconds to get his bearings and realize where he is. The one question he has, is why they were led here.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry it's so short. The next one will be longer. Please write a review, and let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Ray of Hope

The white sand of Camp Halfblood's beach sits in front of them. Valerie and Nico exchange confused glances. They walk down to the rushing waves.

"Why would the water lead you here?" Nico questions, kicking at the sand with his foot.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Valerie responds, her blue-green eyes drifting out to follow the enigmatic pattern of the water crashing into the shore. Why would someone want to lead her here? This is the one place she really doesn't want to be. Valerie can't wrap her mind around this. It's so strange, and coming from a demigod that just fought off a pack of hellhounds, _that _is saying something.

In the distance, Valerie and Nico see the rest of the camp gathering for training. "This is gonna be a long day," Valerie sighs as the they both head toward the mess hall. Pulling an all-nighter before a full day of training probably wasn't the best idea.

Nico and Valerie team up for sword fighting. They move to the outskirts of the crowd so their conversation won't be heard.

"So, what do you think that water-thing was?" Nico swings his sword, and it clashes with Valerie's.

"I wish I knew," Valerie swings her blade, but Nico jumps over it. "Is there a book or something we could use?"

"Maybe," Nico wracks his brain for something useful. He read a lot as a kid. He never had many friends, and reading is something you can do by yourself. When, Nico found out he was a demigod, he researched mythology. A lot. He might have brought some of those books with him to camp.

* * *

"I think I found something," Nico announces. Valerie looks up from the pages of an old textbook and walks over to Nico.

"What?" she eagerly asks, happy to find a temporary escape from the book. She knows it's kind of important, considering that she's a halfblood, but it's boring.

"It says here the gods sometimes help their children in when they are in danger. They often use beacons to lure them back to safety," Nico reads, following the lines of text with his finger. "You think that was a sign from your father?" Nico asks.

"I dunno. Maybe," Valerie thinks it could be. She hopes it is. She has never me her father. Valerie wants to think that he still cares about her. But there's only one way to find out.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this chapter! I know it's been a long time since I updated this story. I might not be able to update this fic as often as I'd like to, but I promise that I will finish this story. Please leave a review and be sure to check out my other stories, ****_Find Your Own Way Back Home _****and ****_The Walls That Bleed._**


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